


Drakecula

by PunandOnly



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Character Turned Into Vampire, M/M, tim is a vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-03-27 04:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13872918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PunandOnly/pseuds/PunandOnly
Summary: A year ago Tim was viciously attacked and murdered, his throat torn out and all the blood in his body drained. But when Tim wakes up as an undead version of himself the next morning, he realizes the world is even stranger than he thought. Now a year later, Tim has successfully kept his family from finding out his secret. But when Jason finds out and Tim's killer returns to Gotham, it's all he can do to keep from dying again.





	1. Jason Needs to Buy Some Scarves

“So when exactly were you going to tell me you’re a vampire?”

Tim jumps stuttering out his answer , “Whu- what?! What do you mean? Vampires aren’t re-”

“Dude I’m looking straight in the mirror and you’re not in it!”

Oh shit. Tim forgot that the old mirrors in Wayne manor were backed with silver, relics from the days before aluminium mirrors were a thing. Out of his large family, Tim had never thought Jason would be the one to find him out. He always thought it would be Bruce or Damian, or even Dick when his hugs realized just how cold Tim really is. 

He never thought it would be the brother that would rather see him dead (well technically now he has) that would realize he’s no longer among the living. 

Tim remains silent. He’s waiting for Jason to run off and tell Bruce that Tim is one of the bad guys, then he’ll knock him out and convince him this was all a fever induced dream. He’s done it before. 

Instead of running to tell on him like Tim thought, Jason stays, an eyebrow raised and his foot starting to tap the floor in an impatient staccato, like he’s the one currently being bothered. 

“Well? I’m waiting.”

Tim can only gape, out of all the scenarios and contingencies he had thought up, this was not one of them.

Jason looks away, eyes somewhat wide. Finding out your estranged copy cat sucks blood for a living (hah) does that to you. 

“It makes so much sense, the bags under your eyes, your sleep schedule, how your never outside, hell I don’t think I’ve _ever_ seen you eat in front me, just how long have you been undead?’

“About a year.”

“Are you sure it’s only been a year?” 

“Yeah I’m pretty sure, having my throat ripped out then bleeding out only to wake up craving blood tends to be something memorable.”

Jason just shrugs like he can’t come up with an argument. 

Tim’s always been good at avoiding elephants in the room, but this time it’s his life. 

“What are you going to do?” 

“Me? Nothing I guess. Make sure I wear turtlenecks around you. Maybe not though, that seems a bit too Bruce to me. Scarves though, I think I could fuck with some scarves.”

“You’re, not going to tell Bruce?” 

Again Jason shrugs. “Why would I? It’s not like daddy dearest and I get along. His paranoia would convince him more than me telling him, besides it doesn’t do shit for me. Though I’ll admit, I’m a little pissed off that you’re copying the whole undead zombie thing too. Is nothing in this world sacred?”

“Zombies and vampires aren’t the same thing,” Tim can’t help but reply. 

“You’re undead and you crave something a human being can’t live without, they’re basically the same.”

Tim snorts, “I can’t believe I’m going to argue with you about the differences between zombies and vampires.” Jason rolls his eyes. 

“There is something I have to ask though. The blood, have you just been chomping down on criminals? Your girlfriend know and decide she wants to live out her twilight dreams?”

Tim looks horrified. 

“I’m taking that as a no then. The question still remains. And I don’t know jack shit about vamps, but I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you’d be dead for real if you went the entire year without some red juice.”

“I’ve been skimming some of the expired stuff from blood banks.”

Jason raises an eyebrow, “With as much as the people here get hurt there can’t be much leftover.”

Tim can’t tell if it’s a trick question. He can hear Jason’s heart, an aside from the first jolt at realizing Tim wasn’t in the mirror, it’s been steady since. 

The floor creaks, a sound that only someone with hearing like his (or probably Supermans, Tim hasn’t exactly been able to compare note whilst keeping his state a secret) could hear. 

“Shhhh,” Tim shushes Jason then leaves his bathroom.

One member of his family already knows his secret. He doesn’t need it to be two.

The heartbeat in the hall is Dick’s, a few seconds later his head pops through the doorway of Tim’s room. 

“Hey Jayce, hey Tim, Alfred said to wash up for dinner. I think he wants us to _bond_ or something.”

“I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Yeah me too Dickie-bird,” Jason nods, “I need to finish asking Tim about a case.”

“Sure thing, just don’t keep Alfred waiting,” Dick nods before leaving. Tim waits five breaths before Dick’s heartbeat is off their floor. 

Jason waits until Tim nods that Dick is gone. 

“Like I was saying before, there can’t be much blood to expire with how many people get hurt here.”

Tim starts sinking into himself. He feels bad about taking any leftover blood, there already isn’t enough left in regular cities, let alone ones like Gotham, but if he didn’t he would die, and there was too much work to do for him to die.

“There’s enough,” Tim finally replies. 

“Suuuuuuure,” Jason says, the word long and drawn out, “Just let me know if you start getting snackish, I’ll make sure to leave the state.”

With that Jason leaves. Tim just stands in shock, this had not gone even remotely similar to the thousands of possible scenarios he had imagined. 

“Timmy, you coming or what?” Jason called from the stairs. 

With a jolt Tim started walking. 

Jason is waiting for him at the top of the stairs. “Took you long enough, you’d think I’d be the one shocked.”

Tim begins going down the stairs instead of answering. 

“There are you guys are, were playing twister, Alfred has declared it family game night.”

True to his word, Dick is setting up the game. Bruce is sitting in his favorite chair clutching the spinner board, Damian is glaring but helping Dick set up, and Cass is bringing out snacks with Alfred. 

A small part of Tim is thrilled at the idea of contact, his childhood had been touch starved and in Steph’s word he was ‘always a slut for hugs’, but since turning he had avoided any and all contact, afraid his family would realize he felt like ice. Twister was the worst game possible at the moment. 

“C’mon Dickie, you know you’re gonna win,”Jason snatches a piece of fruit off of Cass’s tray. 

“That’s why I chose it,” Dick says grinning. 

It’s an extra large mat, probably custom made to fit their huge family. Tim chooses a side away from everyone else. 

Damian tuts, “Afraid of losing that bad Drake?”

Tim shrugs, “Can’t lose if you don’t play.”

Bruce spins the wheel, “Right hand green.”

Alright easy enough, Tim just has to avoid touching anyone, and if he does he’ll just say it’s poor circulation, his mother had that, it’s plausible. 

“Left hand red.”

The family gets to work trying to outmaneuver each other, and if you thought Monopoly sucks when you’re playing against business majors, try playing against vigilantes, one of whom is a gymnast.

Somehow Tim ends up wedged against Jason and Dick. Damians at his feet, and he can’t even _see_ Cass. Somehow she’s managed to maintain a neutral position. 

“Left hand blue.”

Damian hisses when his hand brushes against Tim’s ankle where his pants have pulled up. “Jesus Drake, do you not know what warmth is?”

“Poor circulation, it’s from my mother’s side.”

Damian rolls his eyes, “Of course your ice queen of a mother had poor circulation.”

“It’s common in women, you can’t tell me that your mother doesn’t get cold fingers and toes,” Tim argues. Even if his mother was icy, she was _his_ mother, and he had inherited a lot of her so called ice queen traits. 

“We are demons Drake, we run hot with fire.”

Jason scoffs, “Damian I saw you huddled beneath five blankets like not even an hour ago.”

“Right hand red.”

Everyone moves, now Tim is still trapped between Jason and Dick, but Jason is somewhere under him and Dick’s midsection is hovering above him. 

Dick looks down at Tim, an evil smile on his face. 

“You know what this position is good for?”

“NO.” 

Dick brings his face closer and blows a raspberry on Tim’s stomach. In his haste to get away Tim knocks into Jason, which in turn sets of a chain reaction and topples everyone. Except for Cass. 

“Thanks Replacement, I actually stood a chance of winning.”

“Sorry?” Tim rubs his head where it knocked into someone’s elbow. 

“You know Tim, you did feel kind of cold. Are you feeling alright?” Dick asks concerned. 

“Oh yeah I’m fine, like I said it’s poor circulation.”

“Hmmph.” Damian is busy untangling himself from the legs of his brothers. 

“If you ever cause me to lose a game again Drake,”

“That’s enough Damian. I think it would be best if we played something else,” Bruce interrupted. “What about a nice game of Uno?” 

Tim wasn’t sure if there was such a thing as a ‘nice game of Uno’, but it beat Twister. 

To his satisfaction he won a fair majority of the games. 

ahahhahhahahahahhahhaaaaaaa***

There was no patrol that night, the other vigilantes of the city had said they could handle it. Tim sent Steph a quick text about having brunch tomorrow. 

Jeez, Jason thought Steph was girlfriend. She had been, but then things happened and she faked her death and realized that maybe she’s actually a lesbian the same time that Tim realized maybe he’s gay. 

It had all worked, but Tim thought it was obvious to everyone how _not_ together he and Steph were. Not to mention, he’s pretty sure her and Cass are dating. 

With a sigh he tossed his phone on his bed, getting ready for the night. Despite contrary opinion, apparently vampires do sleep. Or maybe Tim is just so tired he breaks the rules. Either way, even with the whole being undead thing this had been some of the best sleep he’s ever had. 

Only a couple hours a night, sometimes four to five, of undisturbed rest. And it was all he needed. It was the same as what he had been getting before, but now he actually felt somewhat rested, whereas before it had only succeeded in keeping him from falling asleep on the job. 

He pulled on a night shirt, shedding his pants and crawling in between the silky sheets. On his side of the bed was a heating pad. Tim had bought it the week after he turned and used it religiously. Even though he was the cold, he still felt it. 

Turning it on, he curled around it, enjoying the warmth it gave off. Tomorrow he would need to stop at the blood bank before going to brunch with Steph. 

Three and a half hours later found Tim getting dressed into a simple outfit of pants, a graphic tee Cass had gotten him for Christmas, and a flannel. 

It’s only four in the morning, Alfred was probably up in the kitchen getting to work, the bloodbank isn’t even open yet, which is perfect for Tim. 

His footsteps were quiet, far more quiet than they had been before he was turned. A small part of him felt guilty at how easy it was to sneak past Alfred and into the bat cave. Tim did what he always did when he has emotions he doesn’t want. He grabbed that shit and shoved it way down. 

Soon he was out and on the way to the city in an indistinguishable minivan. The drive to town was maybe ten minutes, eight minutes longer than the Batmobile would have been, but the minivan can’t do zero to a hundred in less than a second. 

Tim parked it in the lot of a convenience store four blocks from the blood bank. With his new abilities he didn’t need a grappling hook to get to the top of a building, he just jumped and climbed (he should probably find out the extent of his probabilities, but that’s hard to do when your sort of sister has her hand on all the cameras in the city).

The only reason Tim knew Oracle wouldn’t pick up on him was because he had snuck into her system and coded in a patch that made her systems replay footage when needed. The next time she cleaned her servers she’d probably notice. Tim’s good, but not Barbara good. Which is why he added a self destruct program to the code. Any access to it and it would be gone for good. 

Not too bad, he thought. Though the coding had taken him a while to perfect, and he wasn’t looking forward to having to do it all over again. 

The blood bank was on the fourth floor, but Tim kept climbing till he reached the sixth. There’s a vent system big enough for Tim to fit into that he uses whenever he comes. It takes him all the way to the bloodbank, where he unscrews the hatch and swings himself down quietly. The cameras were deactivated with a flick of his watch. 

He scans the giant fridges looking for the oldest blood. There isn’t as much as Tim had hoped. It looks like the blood drive they had hosted wasn’t that successful. Finally Tim reaches into the third fridge, withdrawing a bag that has two weeks left. It’s the closet to expiration. He feels a twinge of guilt at using blood that hasn’t expired, but it’s the oldest one. 

He puts it gently into the bag that he brought and crawls back into the vent, making sure he’s left no evidence of his breakin. 

When the blood bank opens, the technicians will be confused at the missing bag of blood. But Tim’s careful. He never takes more than one bag from a bank at a time, and he makes sure no one ever files a report. After all, would you rather admit that you messed up at your job and are missing a bag of blood, or just write it off as a mistake and sweep it under the rug?

Once out of the vent and on the roof of the neighboring building Tim takes a breath. The sunrise is beginning, the starts of it is beautiful. For a second, Tim takes it in before the stinging starts. The sun doesn’t make him turn to ash (he almost had a heart attack the first time he stepped into the light), but it does sting, like when it’s windy and little particles of sand fly at you. 

He could stand it, but when he hadn’t eaten in awhile it hurt worse. Tim figured that the only way the sun would kill him was if he hadn’t eaten in months. 

Thankfully, he hadn’t reached that point yet. Though it got close in the beginning. 

The others will be waking by now, Tim had better get back. Just in case anyone asked questions, he stopped at a corner deli, buying some of his favorite snacks. He kept the receipts and a bag or two, but the rest he passed to the homeless. 

Even though he could eat the food and taste it just fine, he’d only throw it up in an hour. The ride home took a little longer, the morning rush was starting, although it wasn’t too bad. 

By the time he returned to the Batcave and wandered up to the kitchen Jason and Cass are up. Tim’s glad he left the blood in the small ice bag in his locker. 

“Morning Timbo, what’re you doing up out and about so early?” Jason asks. There’s something in his eyes that suggests he already knows what Tim’s been doing, and considering yesterday he probably does. 

Tim just holds up the bag of leftover snacks in reply, faking a yawn. He begins pouring himself a cup of coffee, thank god his system doesn’t react the same to coffee it does to food. He has a theory on why, but until he gets the cave to himself he can’t test it out. 

Alfred passes him a plate of eggs and toast. 

Tim smiles his thanks. The eggs are good. He just wishes they’d taste just as good going up as they go down. 

Jason eyes him eating. His face betrays nothing but Tim just knows they’re going to end up talking later.

“Sorry Alfred, I don’t think I should eat too much. I’m going to brunch with Steph at nine.”

“If you think that best young master, though I must add that nine isn’t for another four hours,” Alfred replies eyebrow raised. 

“I ate a lot of gummy bears.”

“Timmy, you need to eat your veggies if you want to grow up big and strong like Cass,” as if on cue Cass flexes. Jason gestures to her than scoops away Tim’s plate eating his eggs. 

***

It doesn’t take long for Jason to find Tim. He’s in his room going through a file of old evidence looking for any connection to his current case when Jason opens the door, stepping in and locking it. 

“So, Replacement. We’ve got some things to talk about.”

Tim shuts his laptop and places it on his desk. 

“What do you want to talk about Jason?”

“Let's start with where you were this morning.”

“The blood bank on third street.”

“Doing what?”

“Isn’t it presumed?” Tim replies. 

“Yeah, but I want to hear you say it.”

“I was getting my bimonthly bag of blood. Which is currently in the batcave hiding in my locker until I can get it.”

“Bimonthly?” 

“Yup, twice a month. I tried doing only monthly, but the bags are kind of small. I ration it out over the course of a month. And before you ask, no I don’t keep it in the Batcave the entire time. I have a mini fridge in here for a reason.”

“Ok then. Onward to breakfast. I thought vampires couldn’t eat regular food.”

“So did I. I can apparently, though I end up just vomiting it back up.”

Jason takes a seat on his bed, tucking his socked feet under the blanket. 

“But you eat it anyway?”

Tim shrugs. “It tastes good still, and besides, I miss it.”

“What about healing? Did Hollywood get that right? I’m going to presume the sun doesn’t turn you to ash consider how many Wayne Enterprise’s picnics you’ve been dragged to.”

“I heal incredibly fast when I do get injured. I have never had anything actually cut my skin except for an incredibly sharp cursed sword which went right through my stomach. It took me half an hour to finally have the hole go away, but I had to get an extra bag of blood after that so I’m operating under the assumption the blood is necessary in keeping my cells active. It’s fascinating actually, my own cells cannot survive because my heart doesn’t beat so it can’t spread oxygen.”

“But I don’t think it’s the oxygen in the blood I need, I once held my breath for six hours straight. I think that my body takes the cells of the blood and uses them as energy to rebuild my own vampire cells, which is why I would need more blood when seriously injured. But it’s still just a theory.”

“Sounds like a pretty good theory. You sleep?”

“Same as I did before, but it’s deeper. I slept through the entire thunderstorm we had two months ago, which is new.”

Jason nods, thinking up more questions. “Super strength? Super hearing I already know because o

f last night. Super speed?”

“I haven’t had a chance to see just how strong and fast I am, but it’s way more than before.” 

“Does your girlfriend know? Or am I the only one?”

“Steph isn’t my girlfriend, and no she doesn’t know. Just you and me.”

“Alright, I’ll come back if I ever have more questions. I guess we'll find out about the whole immortal thing if you still look like a twelve year old when everyone else is old and gray, see you later Timmy Boy.”

With that Jason leaves the room. The sound of his footsteps is dull to Tim’s ears. Of course he had thought about being immortal, but now that someone else knows it felt more real somehow. The thought of outgrowing and watching everyone he loves die (again, but this time of old age) paralyzes Tim. Like he always does though, he grabs those emotions and pushes them down. He needs to shower and get ready for brunch. 


	2. It's My Blood in a Mug

Steph was already at the restaurant when Tim got there. It was a pretty nice place, not the best Tim’s been in, but better than most. And besides, this was Steph and his _place_. It could serve cold coffee and they’d still come. 

Steph waves him over to their regular table. 

“Tim!,” she says standing and hugging him. “How have you been?”

“Steph, we saw each other like two days ago.”

Steph nods serious. “Yes, but this is brunch, we must act as though we are mothers who have very busy schedules and are catching up with friends on their one free Sunday.”

Tim nods in agreeance. “How is Patricia? Is the rash any better?” 

A lady at the neighboring table looks over sending them a dirty look. Tim and Steph dissolve into giggles. 

A waiter soon joins them to take their drink orders. Not that he needs to, James has been their go to for years, and they always order the same thing. 

Like the saint he is, he leaves an entire coffee pot on their table for Tim and brings some fruit and whipped cream for Steph to snack on while they scan the menus, pretending they’ll get something else. 

The sound of all the beating hearts would distract Tim if he hadn’t snuck the bag out before he left and fed. Something inside him was still hungry, but it was a dull hunger, one that he was used to. No waffle could fill that hunger, and unless he resorted to gorging himself on blood bags or feeding on someone (both of which he had resolved to never do), he would have that dull hunger forever. 

“So, I’m thinking waffles.”

“And I’m thinking chocolate chip pancakes.”

Steph fakes a fit. “I can’t believe I ever dated a pancake man, this is why we didn’t work out Timothy.”

“Stephanie you’re a lesbian and I’m gay, I think that’s why.”

Steph turns her nose up faking sniffles. “No, it was definitely the pancakes.”

The rest of brunch is good. It’s a feeling of normalcy that Tim needed. They end up spending three hours laughing and eating until the lunch crowd has come in. No one tries to move them or ask them to leave, they keep ordering waffles (and those traitor pancakes), and everyone knows they tip well and James would kill anyone who asked them to go. 

Eventually though Steph has to go and finish and some of her online work. Tim walks her to her car where she buckles in the to go box of left over waffles and hugs him goodbye. 

Smiling and feeling warm inside (yet another reason Tim loved brunch with Steph), he began walking. 

Tim didn’t know where he wanted to go, just that the day is lovely and even with the prickling of the sun he didn’t want to go inside. He was so distracted thinking about brunch and running errands to notice where he was going. 

A cold, slimy feeling began growing in his feet and working its way up to his stomach where it curdled like sour milk. Tim stopped abruptly, looking around him. In alarm he realized he was at the abandoned apartment building where he died (he still couldn’t get used to the fact that he actually died, that if he hadn’t turned he wouldn’t be here anymore, that his family would have found his mutilated corpse).

Alarm shoots up his spine when he begins hearing whispers. There’s too many to make out what they’re saying. It sounds like they're coming from inside his head. Tim looks up, on the third floor from inside the window there’s a shadow of a large man, watching him. Tim can’t make out his face, but he feels _wrong_. 

The phantom feeling of fangs ripping into his throat sends Tim skittering back away from the building. 

He doesn’t even consider investigation, instead Tim turns and runs like a bat out of hell. Panic is racing through his mind, and now he knows that vampires too feel adrenaline. 

It’s not until he’s on the other side of the city that he stops running, popping into a diner and sitting. His heart isn’t beating hasn’t in a year, Tim makes a mental note to find out just how the adrenaline got around his system later. Later after he doesn’t feel imaginary fingers stroking his face, choking him, later when he doesn’t feel blood being drained out of his body and sees his world going black. 

The waitress brings him coffee and a menu. He puts the menu aside and pours cream and sugar into the cup, slowly drinking it. Somehow Tim knew that the man in the window was the same man that murdered him, and probably turned him too. It’s been a year and Tim hasn’t felt his presence once until now, why would he come back? 

Tim clenches his fists to keep himself from breaking the table. His phone starts ringing. 

“Tim speaking.”

“Hey Timbo, it’s Jason, you mind coming over to the apartment over on fifth, I’ll be outside waiting. There’s something I want to try.”

“I’ll be there in ten.”

Tim doesn’t know why he said yes, he just knows that right now he doesn’t want to be alone.

****

Jason’s leaning on the stairwell of the apartment building playing on his phone when TIm walks up. 

He looks up despite Tim’s footsteps being silent. “Good to see you replacement, velcome to my lair. What? Is it too early to crack jokes?” 

Jason turns to walk inside, but not before wrapping his arm arounds Tim’s shoulders and leading him in. The warmth feels nice, and Tim had always needed touch to calm down. Without meaning to, he finds himself relaxing into Jason’s side. 

“So I stole some lab equipment, don’t give me that look Timbo it’s for the greater good blah blah blah, anyways I stole some lab equipment and I want to run some tests on your blood. Find out how it’s different and everything.”

“Why?”

“As a man of intelligence you intrigue me. Besides, I didn’t know vampires were real, and I’m presuming in order to become one you have to die, which means there is or there was a fang happy vampire in my city. I’d like to learn more about them, the usual.”

“There is.”

“There is what?” 

“A vampire in the city. I ended up at the place I was murdered and I saw them. Actually I felt him before I saw him. It was slimy and like there were people in my mind whispering.”

Jason eyes him. “Have you ever felt any other vampires like you have today?”

Tim shakes his head. “There have been people that felt weird, but unless I asked ‘Hey can you show me your fangs’ I wouldn’t know. Besides for all we know werewolves and stuff are real too.”

“But you knew that he was the one that killed and turned you?”

Tim nods. “It was like something alien, I kept having flashbacks to when I died and I felt him choking me and killing me. That’s never happened before.”

Jason nods flipping on the rooms lights. Like he said there’s lab equipment set up and whirring already. 

Jason leads Tim to a seat. “I’ve been reading some stuff, don’t know if it’s true or not, but we haven’t got anything else to go on. But a lot of them say that a vampire’s maker has some sort of control over them. It’s possible he called you there. I’ll call Constantine later and ask for any sources he has.”

Tim nods while Jason readies his needles. 

“Put them back,” Tim says. “No, I’m not scared of needles, but they don’t work. I can cut myself and you can collect it.” 

Jason nods putting the needles back and grabbing a jar. 

Tim uses his teeth, now popped out into sharp fangs, to scratch a wound on his forearm. The blood that comes out is deep red, almost wine colored and shining blue when it trickles down slowly into the jar. Not much comes out before his skin heals itself, but it’s enough to run some tests. 

“There’s blood in the fridge,” Jason nods to the mini fridge in the corner. 

“What?” 

Jason looks at him like he’s stupid. “I said there’s blood in the fridge. Relax, I didn’t take it from any banks, it’s all natural, free range, organic blood.”

“From who?” Tim asks both touched and mildly alarmed. 

“Me. Until we know whether or not vampires can catch disease I’d rather not stick a needle in any of the criminals that I bust on a nightly basis.”

“Oh, thank you Jason. But are you sure it’s safe? We lose enough blood on the job anyways, you don’t need to already lose some before you’re even being shot at.”

“Tim I’m six foot and weigh 210 pounds, I think I’ll be fine. And the bloods already out and in a bag. It’s only one for now. I’ll look into some other avenues and see if I can find more. Even I can tell you’re basically starving yourself.”

Tim opens the fridge pulling out the single bag of blood. 

“There’s a microwave in the kitchen, along with a giant mug, like the one you got for Christmas that’ll fit it all.”

Tim nods and goes to the kitchen, where he’s careful not to splash any blood as he pours it into the mug and nukes it. Out of all his family, Tim never expected Jason to be the one to help him like this. He didn’t expect any of them to stand what he’d become, let alone help him, and the one that had tried to _kill_ him too. Either way Tim was greatful. This probably couldn’t have come at a better time. 

The microwave beeps and Tim pulls the mug out. The blood is warm and smells better than any food Tim’s ever eaten. Tim takes a sip and moans. It’s tastes like amber, and deeper things Tim can’t name. From the few times he’s had it, Tim can certify that it tastes better than sex. 

“Gee replacement, didn’t know I tasted that good. You’ll give me an ego with the noises you’re making.” Jason laughs as he enters the kitchen. Tim doesn’t know when he took his shoes off, but into the kitchen he pads, socks covered in penguins. 

Tim startles jolting to turn towards him. 

“Wow, I must taste really good to distract a vampire from hearing me. That or your hearing’s going,” he jokes again. “Anyways, I have a test going picking out specific structures in your blood. It’s gonna take a while, so until then you can stay here. There’s a spare bedroom and the bathroom’s down the hall. You wanna watch a movie?”

*****

Tim texts Alfred letting him know he’s staying in one of his own apartments. He feels bad about lying to Alfred, but Jason and him didn’t have the past together and if they started hanging out suddenly now it would raise questions Tim couldn’t afford to answer. 

They end up arguing over the movies. Tim wants Kill Bill, Jason wants a rom com. 

They end up watching a rom com. 

There’s a single couch in the living room. It’s comfortable and well broken in. This must be Jason’s regular apartment. Tim feels something in his throat catch and his stomach twist, almost like butterflies. 

Jason must trust him if he led him to his home. 

They settle in on the catch, sharing a giant blanket. Tim spreads out, and when Jason lets him he rests his feet on Jason’s lap.

It’s an intimacy Tim hasn’t felt for a year, only now does he realize just how much he misses it. 

Jason wraps a hand around one of Tim’s feet. 

“Hmmm. You feel warm.. I wonder if it’s because you’re freshly fed. We’ll have to test that too.” 

Tim nods. “If I feel like I’m actually it’d be useful for dodging questions.” 

Jason snorts. “And the fact that you won’t be hungry.” 

He realizes that for the first time in over a year, he feels full. He’s content, warm and happy. The rom com isn’t even that bad of a movie. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHHAHAHHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHA they ain't gon fuck for a while yall im sorry


	3. You Know What They Say About the Dead and Plants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Jason go on patrol, Ivy wakes up early, and the cavalry arrives.

Tim and Jason eat dinner before patrol. 

“Don’t look at me like that Timbo, you don’t even need the spaghetti why are you giving me puppy dog eyes, oh jesus christ I made enough for _one_ Tim, _one!_ ”4

Tim smiles. The pasta was delicious. 

The night is slow, it’s not freezing, but it’s not yet warm enough to encourage the mass amounts of crime seen during summer. Spring is taking her sweet time coming to Gotham.

A robbery is foiled, then a kidnapping, it’s barely even one in the morning when they get a message over the coms. 

“Hood, Red, “ Oracle’s voice echoes in Tim’s ear, “Ivy’s been spotted downtown. Nothing serious yet, let’s keep it that way.”

Tim nods knowing she’s probably watching them through one of her many cameras. “On it Oracle.”

“Bet someone’s been using too much pesticides on their houseplants,” Jason jokes. “It’s odd for her to be out and about this early.”

It is strange. Normally Ivy wouldn’t be up and moving for another month, unless something drastic happened, like real bad or someone bothered her. Jason’s adopted Dick’s habit of joking to hide his real feelings. When you’re a Bat, you joke to hide your feelings, or you go the route of Bruce and probably Damian, pretend you have none then sob while texting your sons because the free cocktails were stronger than believed. 

Downtown is a short five minutes away. The GCPD are waiting outside an apartment building, Jason stays on the roof (he is still sort of a murderer after all, there's only so much the police can excuse), while Tim grapples to stand beside Commissioner Gordon. 

“Ivy’s been spotted on the fifth floor, no one’s been reported dead, no hostages, it still hasn’t been moved into. Can’t be sure there aren’t squatters being held so we haven’t gone in yet.”

Tim nods. “Thank you Commissioner, we’ll handle it.”

Gordon only grunts before Tim’s zipping back up to where is Jason is. He relays the information. 

“I’m still not sure about her having no hostages. Ivy’s always liked you little bird, you go in the front, I’ll sneak in through the back, see if she’s got anyone stashed away,” Jason readies his glocks, “Don’t worry, they’re just tranqs tonight.”

Tim scoffs. “That’s not what I was worried about. I’m more concerned about you shooting yourself and having to carry your big ass home.”

Jason lets out a gasp of insult. “How dare you! I’ll have you know I keep myself trim!” 

He hoots out laughter before grappling for the back of the building. 

Tim shakes his head smiling. It’s quick work opening a window from the floor above. Like the polite young man he is, Tim even knocks when he gets to the apartment Ivy’s in. 

She opens the door on the second knock. The normally rich jade of her skin is pale. Ivy yawns trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. “Come in Red Robin.”

“Hello Ivy, any particular reason you’re up so soon?”

She fixes her emerald eyes on him, suddenly very awake. “You’re different,”

Her eyes roves up and down his body. 

Somehow through the whole being dead thing, Tim still manages to feel a chill go down his spine. 

“Not a clue what you mean Ivy.”

“Red Robin, you and I have never played stupid with each other, let’s not start now.”

Reluctantly, he nods in agreement. 

She gives him a once over again, her brows crinkling in thought. Ivy picks up one of his hands, feeling the chill even through the gauntlet. 

“You feel the same as me, and yet so different. One thing’s for certain, you’re not human anymore. Though, now that I draw on my memories of our first meetings, I’m not entirely sure you were all that human to start with,” she looks him square in the eye, seemingly straight into his own rapidly moving thoughts. 

“I think,” Ivy begins, “I think that we’re alike in that neither of us are entirely human. But I think we’re on different realms of being. You don’t have the same vibration as I, it feels as though you’re no longer living where as I am growing constantly. I think that’s it.”

Well, even if there was any doubt in the beginning, there’s none now. Tim’s for sure dead. 

“Are you going to tell Batman?” he asks tentatively. 

Ivy strokes his face with her hand, it feels warm. Odd considering she had always been so much cooler than himself. 

“Little bird, your secret is safe. Batman will hear nothing from my lips.” A rush of relief goes through Tim. Now that he knows Ivy won’t say anything, he can focus on why she’s up. 

“I thought you didn’t wake up until after April showers, we haven’t had too much rain yet.”

“I try to sleep as long as I can help it, but something woke me up. My babies and feelers felt something come into town yesterday and woke me up. They said something unusual came to town. Red Robin, I know that according to your own moral code I am by no other word a villain, and according to many human’s opinions, evil. Now being myself not the most upstanding person of ethics, my next words have dire meaning. The thing in town, it’s evil.”

Great, cause Tim couldn’t be turned by just any old morally gray vampire, no, it had to be an _evil_ vampire. 

“My plants, my brave little soldiers, recoiled Robin. The thing that came to town made them _run_ for me. Watch yourself bird. Things are coming, things have already arrived, and some things, some never left at all.”

Tim thinks. He knows he shouldn’t keep this from Bruce, but he’s still afraid of what Bruce would say, what he would do. He can handle this on his own, he’s done it before. 

“Thank you Ivy, I appreciate it. You haven’t broken any serious laws, the GCPD is willing to let you return to Robinson Park to sleep again.”

“Yes, I think I’d like that. Also, Red Robin, tell your boyfriend in the back I know he’s there,” there’s a smirk on Ivy’s face as she says that. 

Tim freezes. 

“He’s uh, he’s not my boyfriend.” 

“Whatever you say dear,” she leans down to whisper in his ear, “I’m rather fond of the bad ones myself, and I have to say you picked very nice.”

Tim can feel himself blushing (and oh that’s interesting, maybe when he’s freshly fed his body behaves more like he’s living, Jason did say something about him feeling warmer than before). 

Red Hood steps out from the back bedroom. 

“Games up Red Robin, our secret love has been discovered. Drat to you Ivy.” 

Ivy chuckles. “If only Harley were here, she’d love you. Let’s get going, there’s a dirt bed that’s calling me.”

It’s easy to get Ivy back to the park. The rest of their patrol goes smoothly. After muting their mics Tim and Jason discuss the visit with Ivy. 

“That’s real concerning. On the bright side, if this thing is so evil, maybe ol’ dad will let me use big boy bullets again.”

The window to Jason’s apartment is open when they return. Automatically they’re both on high alert. It had been shut when they left. 

Jason motions for him to stay behind him, ridiculous considering Tim’s not likely to be the one hurt, but whatever. 

The apartment smells like cigarettes. There’s a tall figure standing in front of the other window, silhouette highlighted by the moon. A single ember near where their face is illuminates the rising plume of cigarette smoke. 

“So, I heard you have a vampire problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constantine is HERE. Thank's for reading, please comment and feed the compliment hungry gremlin that is I.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello it's me again, the terrible writing monster who cannot finish a fic for her life. Anyways, sorry for not updating anything and just churning out new stuff. If you're still interested in my old stuff please comment, I'll re-read what I have and get back into it eventually. In the meantime, thank you for reading my fic, and please comment comment comment, they're like money for the writing gremlin in my mind.


End file.
